Transmission-gearing.



L. S. ZHITLER. TRANSMISSION GLARING. APPLICATION FILED snptm, 1913.

1,102,378, Patented July 7,1914.

R. S. ZBITLER.

TRANSMISSION GEARING. APPLICATION IILEDISEPT. 4, 1913.

1,102,378, Patented July 7,1914.

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w l a wmur@ WWI ll! R. S. ZBITLER.

TRANSMISSION GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1913.

1,102,378, Patented July 7, 1914.

3 BHBETS-SEEBT 3.

W3) J," 47 5 I Mi W RAYMOND S. ZEITLER, 0F URBANA, ILLINOIS.

'IIRANSMISSION-GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1914.

Application filed September 4, 1913. Serial No. 788,087.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. RAYMOND S. Zmrnnn,

citizen of the United States, residing at Urbana, in the county ofChampaign and State of IlllllOlS, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in 'lransmission-Gearing,of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a form of automatic variable speed transmissiongearing adapted to be most advantageously used in automobiles.

The chief object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter described, wherein the highest driving efliciency will beautomatically obtained, and whereby every range of motor speed may betransmitted without the manual shifting of gears, as is the commonpractice.

Another object is to provide means that will automatically act. as agovernor for controlling the speed of the motor, and thus prohibit samefrom racing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a transmission that willallow the mo tor or prime mover to start without load, and at apredetermined speed.

Further objects conserved by my invention are as follows :All thetransmission gears are constantly in mesh, thus insuring againstexcessive strains on individual gears. As changes from one speed toanother are accomplished without clashing, gear strip ping, and theshocks incident thereto, are avoided. The changes of speed areautomatically effected by the variations in the load resulting from roadgrade resistance. The motor cannot be stalled, for when it is sloweddown from any cause to a predetermined speed. say 200 R. P. M., thetransmission is thereby automatically released and the motor runs freesubject only to the con trol ofthe mechanism which acts as a governor.

Objects and advantages of myinvention other than those above, noted willbe apparent to those skilled in the art and need not be specificallymentioned herein.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, I haveillustrated a preferred form of my device in the following viewsFigure'l is a view partly in side elevation and partially in section ofmy improved transmission, with the lever controlling means omitted; Fig.2 is an elevation of the lever controlling means shown in operativeconnection with a pair of jaw clutches mounted on their respectiveshafts; Fig. 8 is a fragmental sectional view taken through one of thefrictional clutches, and showing the relative arrangement of the partsimmediately controlling the operation of the clutch; Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmental' view of that portion of Fig. 1 embodying thecentrifugally controlled members, or governors, for operating thefrictional or disk clutch; Fig. 5 is a fragmental section through thestud shaft shown in Fig. 1, showing. its bearings; Fig. 6 is a top planview of a form of dial and manual lever, adapted to be mounted upon thedash or any convenient portion of the vehicle in which my transmissionis installed, and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a slipgear or silent ratchet shown in Fig. 1, and forming an important elementof my apparatus.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughouttheseveral views.

The reference character 8 designates a driven fly-wheel showndisassembled from its prime mover, the latter not being shown in thedrawings. Secured to the web or spokes of the fly wheel, by bolts 9, isa hollow cylindrical casing 10, having an annular radial flange 10, onits outer periphery, and internally threaded at 10, to receive asomewhat similar casing' 11, which also has an annular flange 11,adjacent and corresponding to the flange 10. A series of set screws 12pass through suitably threaded openings in the flange 10, and have their'inner ends engage recesses in said flange 11.

At the opposite or outer end from the flange ll, the casing 11terminates in another annular flange 11", which is internally threadedat 11, to receive a cup-shaped cylindrical casing 13, having an annularflange 13, opposite and adjacent the flange 11", and spaced therefrom byset screws 14, passing through the flange 13* at intervals around thesame.

15 represents a shaft passing horizontally through the alined centers ofthe casings 10, 11 and 13, and journaled in a suitable frictionlessbearin 16, which is seated in a central and pro ecting hub 10, on thecasing 10. The shaft 15 is squared at 15*, a short distance from itsbearin in the hub 10, and slidably mounted on this squared shank, is

' a hub 16, riveted to a clutch disk 17, adapted to engage a raybestoscollar 18, arranged on the inner vertical face of said casing 10, andalso a similar raybestos collar, 19, secured to the opposite face of thecollar 20, which is placed adjacent the collar 19, is tapering orwedge-shaped in cross-section and has a limited lateral, butnon-rotatable movement through the engagement of set screws 21. passingthrough the wall of the casing 10, and entering transverse slots 20, inthe outer periphery of said ring, one of said screws only being shown inFig. 1. The casing 11, after extending into the casing 10, fora-distance, terminates in an internal flange 11 having in its outer facethe same angle of bevel as the adjacent face of the wedge ring 20, butin the'opposite direction. Slidably mounted on the hub member 16, is athrust-ring 28, having pivoted to lugs 28 on its outer periphery, links22, which are pivoted attheir outer ends to, and support the wedgeshaped thrust-blocks 23, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

Protruding from the flat disk 17, and rigidly secured thereto at pointsadjacent the links 22, are brackets 24, to which are pivoted the curvedarms 25, of weights 25. Said arms extend downwardly at right angles fromtheir pivotal point, so that their inner faces come in contact with ballbearings 26 seated in nuts 26 screwed into the thrust-ring 28.- A coiledexpansion spring ring 27, fits loosely around the hub of the hub member16, and has one end abutting against the thrust-ring 28, and the otherend abutting against a washer 29 fitted to the squared portion 15 of theshaft 15, and resting against the shoulder 15 of said shaft.

Assembled within the cylindrical casing 11, are members which aresubstantially duplicates of those just described in the casing 10, andwhich I will designate by corresponding reference characters with theaddition of the prime mark. The disk 17 and hub 16, however, instead ofbeing mounted directly upon the shaft 15, are mounted upon the squaredportion 30 of asleeve 30, fitting loosely over said shaft, and having abearing 13*, in the outer wall of said cupshaped casing 13. The casing11 is provided with an internal flange 11, against which the clutch disk17 frictionally engages. In this mechanism, the lugs 24' are parts ofthe thrust wedge ring 20, instead of being secured to the disk 17, as inthe first described mechanism. In all other respects, the two frictionclutch mechanisms in the casings 10 and 11 are identical in constructionand operation, as will be readily apparent from Fig. 1, and need nottherefore be specifically described.

v 31 represents a positive gear housing or casing substantiallycylindrical in form, and

awasva equipped with a plurality of suitable frictionless bearings, aswill hereinafter be described. The sleeve 30 on the shaft 15 isjournaled in an anti-friction bearing 31 in said casing, and has apinion 32, keyed to the end thereof. The shaft 15 extends beyond thepinion 32 and has keyed thereto a sprocket-Wheel'33, and a slidingclutch block or collar 34. Adjacent the clutchcollar 34, the shaft 15 isreduced, forming the stud 15, which has an internal bearing in a stubshaft 35, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Said stub shaft 35 is journaled inthe casing 31, with a suitable frictionless bearing 36, and has keyedthereto, a pinion 37, which is provided upon its face adjacent theclutch 34, with suitable jaws or recesses for engaging said clutch. Theprotruding end of said stub shaft 35 is tapered as at 35, and threadedat 35 ,'to receive any standard or suitable form of universal joint orbevel gear operative connection (not shown). J ournaled in frictionlessbearings 38, 39, arranged in said casing 31, below said shaft 15, andrunning parallel thereto, is a short shaft 40, on which is mounted afree pinion 41, constantly meshing with the pinion 37, and to which iskeyed a square-jawed clutch 42 adapted to be engaged by jaws or recesseson the adjacent face of the pinion 41. A sprocket-wheel 43, is splinedon the shaft 40, and is connected to the sprocket wheel 33, by asuitable sprocket chain 44, said wheel 43 having jaws adjacent theclutch member 42.

A slip-gear or silent ratchet, consisting of a pinion 45, is mounted ontheshaft 40 with a frictionless bearing 45*, inclosed in the hub 45, andis provided in one of its side faces with arecessed portion 45 in whichis arranged a disk 46, which is keyed to the shaft 40, and is providedwith recesses 46 at intervals in which are pivotally mounted pawls 47,each of which is recessed to receive an expansion spring 48, (Fig. 7)the normal tension of which is exerted to keep the free end of the pawlin frictional engagement with the recessed portion or wall 45 of thepinion 45,

The means for controlling the operation of the two clutch members 34 and42, are shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and are as followsz-Pivoted tothe casing 31, at the points 45) and 50, are two corresponding bellcranklevers 52 and 51, their respective-arms 52 and 51 each being providedwith a roller bearing 53, which travels in the grooves 34 and 42 of theclutch members 34, 42, respectively. To the outer ends of the other armsof the cranks 51, 52, are pivoted vertical links 54 and 55 respectively,the latter extending downwardly and the former extending upwardly, andsupporting at their free ends, wheels 57, 56, respectively, which travelon the under and upper sides respectively of a horizontally disposed rod58,

which is provided with a block 58*, provided upon its up er and undersides with fiat cam-like sur aces, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and whichfor convenience, are lettered Ir- NO-R. Each of the wheels 56, 57., isheld against the surfaces of the block 58 by the coiled expansionsprings 60 and 59,which bear against washers 61 and 62, rigidly securedon said links, and against projections 64 and 63, on the interior of thecasing 31.

Suitably mounted on the dash (not shown) of the vehicle equipped with mytransmission, is a plate 65, a front elevation of which is shown by Fig.6. A pointer 66 is rotatably mounted on said plate, its stud 66 passingthrough the center of same, and supporting at its opposite end, an arm67, at the free end of which is jointed a connecting link 68, whichconnects with one arm of a bell-crank lever 69, whichis pivot-allyconnected to a suitable supporton the body of the vehicle at 70, and thefree or other arm of which connects with a series of levers, rods, andcranks not shown, but so arranged as to lead from said bell-crank 69, tosaid rod 58, so as to impart horizontal movement to the latter when thepointer arm 66 is rotated on the disk 65.

The operation of my automatic transmission is as follows: As the casings10, 11, 13, are caused to revolve by the driven wheel 8, the thrustwedge rings 20 and 20' also revolve, and as the weights, 25' are pivotedto the ring 20, they are also caused to revolve, and as they revolve,they move outward due to centrifugal force, thereby pressing theirextensions 25 against the bearin s 26', which rotates the disk 28against t e tension of the spring 27', until a sufficient centrifugalforce is developed to overcome the tension of said spring. The disk 28moves along the hub 16 and causes the wedges 23 to move outwardlyagainst the beveled surfaces 13 of the casing 13, and the thrustwedgering 20' causes frictional engagement between the raybestos disks 18,19, the steel disk 17 and the flange 11". As the pressure increases,these surfaces are caused to grip together until they are all revolving,and as the disk 17 is revolved, its hub 16"being in engagement with. thesquared portion 30, will rotate the sleeve 30. As, the pinion 32 iskeyed to said sleeve 30, it is likewise caused to revolve, which actionwill drive the slip gear 45 with which it is in constant mesh, and whichwhen rotated with sufficient speed causes the pawls 47 to moveoutwardly, and as the surface 45 is roughened slightly, they grip sameand thus cause the disk 46 to revolve, which, being keyed to theauxiliary shaft 40, will also rotate same. The jaw clutch 42 is manuallythrown in mesh with the pinion 41 (as will hereinafter be described) andas the shaft 40 is rotated, said pinion 41 is caused to revolve, therebydrivmg the pinion 37, which being keyed to the shaft 35, causes same torevolve. The clutch 34 is then thrown into mesh with the pinion 37, andas it is keyed to the shaft 15, 1t will rotate the latter thus rotatingthe disk 17 and as the weights 25 are pivoted thereto, they are alsorevolved and forced outwardly by centrifugal action, and as the shaft 35gains speed, or the road resistance (in the ease of an automobile) isovercome; the friction clutch disk 17 starts to operate in the samemanner as clutch 17 previously described, but as this clutch starts todrive the shaft 15, it also drives the gear 37, which in turn drives thepinion 44 faster than the combination of the low gears 32 and 45 coulddrive it, and then the disk 46 is re leased from the outer casing 45, bythe inaction or non-engagement of the pawls 47, and although these gearsare running, they do no work, as the shafts 15 and 35 are connected andrunning at the. speed of the prime mover.

The reversing gear 43 runs loose on the shaft 40, and the gear 33 iskeyed to the shaft 15, therefore, by moving the jaw clutch 42 out ofmesh with the gear 41, and in mesh with the gear 43, the auxiliary shaft40, and stub shaft 35, are driven in reverse directions, which actiongives the reverse to the automobile drive. Then by disengaging the jawclutch 34, and keeping the jaw clutch 42 meshed with the pinion 41, thelast described frictional clutch 17, may be released continuously forany period; and by disengaging the jaw clutch 34, and moving the jawclutch 42, to a point of neutral between the gears 41 and 43, there canbe no power or force applied to the stub shaft 35. The movement of thesejaw clutches described is accomplished by the movement of the lever 66on the plate 65, thus giving a sliding movement to the member 58, andcausing movements to be given the members 54 and 55, respectively. Whenin the position shown, the lever 66 points to N, and the clutches are inthe osition known as normal or in the position rst described. When thelever is rotated to L, the rollers 56 and 57 take. the position shown indotted lines L, and impart what is known as a low speed, or in otherwords, tend to hold the clutch 17 out of engagement. When the lever isrotated to R on the dial, the rollers take the position as indicated bydotted lines R, and cause a reverse as above described; and when saidlever is rotated to O, the rollers take that position as indicated, andimpart what is termed as neutral, or a free engine. In this lastinstance, however, the engine is under the control of a governor, so tospeak, and is prohibited from what is termed, racmg.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let. ters Patent, is:-

1. ltn a transmission gearing, a main driven member, casings positivelyconnected with said member, friction clutches mounted in said casingsrespectively, and comprising friction rings rotatable with said casings,friction disks loosely mounted in said. casings, and means adapted toeffect frictional engagement between said casings, rings and disks uponsaid casings rotating at a predetermined speed, shafts passing throughsaid casings and connected respectively with said disks, a third easing,two sets of intermesh ing gears mounted in said casing, and meanswhereby motion is transmitted from said first named shafts to said setsof gears respectively, and means whereby the direction of travel of saidgears may be reversed.

2. In a transmission gearing, a main driven member, cylindric' casingspositively connected with said member, complementary friction clutchesarranged in said casings respectively and comprising friction rings,Wedge-shaped in cross-section, rotatable with said casings, frictiondisks looselyarranged in said casings adjacent said rings, and meansadapted to effect frictional engagement between said casings, rings anddisks upon said casings rotating at a predetermined speed, said meansincluding centrifugally operative devices and springs adapted toneutralize the action of said devices, shafts passing through saidcasings and connected respectively with said disks, a third casingarranged adjacent the first named casings, and having said shafts journaled therein, a counter-shaft journaled in said third casing, twosets of gears mounted on said shafts, clutches adapted to control theoperation of said gears, means for manually operating said clutches, andmeans for reversing the direction of travel of said gears.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

. RAYMOND S. ZEITLER. Witnesses:

M. A. MILORD, G. W. HILTABRAND.

